A’s add second bullpen catcher Jeremy Dowdy

ARLINGTON, Texas — The A’s traveling party this year has expanded by one.

The team has added a second bullpen catcher Friday, along with incumbent Phil Pohl, because the workload is so heavy that most teams now use two extra catchers. In the A’s case, with Pohl being among the regular batting-practice pitchers, the need was even more obvious. Whenever Pohl or the A’s second catcher wasn’t available, bullpen coach Scott Emersonhad to catch side sessions or warm up relievers.

“It makes everything so much easier,” manager Bob Melvin said. “With the amount of pinch-hitting we do, we want the second catcher on the bench, and this means Emo doesn’t have to catch. I really appreciate the front office letting us do this — and it is an expense. With the amount of pregame stuff we have going on, it really makes a big difference.”

Dowdy, who is from North Carolina and played at Appalachian State, was a minor-league teammate of Marcus Semienand Chris Bassitt.

“Adding another bullpen catcher was something the staff really felt would make a difference with our preparation as well as the obvious advantage of keeping the second catcher off his feet,” general manager David Forst said. “I asked some people I trusted around the game for names, and Jeremy came highly recommended from a couple of sources. On top of that, he played with both Marcus and Bassitt and they gave him their full support.”

Travelin’ men: The A’s road schedule will cover 51,146 miles, most in the majors, topping the Angels (47,828) and Seattle (46,547). The AL West teams are always the leaders; interleague play usually determines which team travels the most. — Susan Slusser